1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates generally to inflatable life vests, especially those of the type normally stored in a very small area when uninflated, and hence widely used on commercial aircraft throughout the world for passenger protection.
In a more particular sense, the invention has reference to life vests of the character described which are usually of the double cell type in which each cell is out of communication with and is inflated separately from the other. In a still more particular sense, the invention relates to an inflatable life vest of the type including a single waist strap having a single-attachment and single-adjustment as distinguished from the type (also widely used) having double straps the ends of which are pulled for the purpose of tightening the straps about the wearer's body.
The term "single-attachment", as used herein, refers to a life vest configuration wherein the user is required to make no more than one attachment to secure the life vest to his or her person. This requirement is met when, for example, a single waist strap is used and which has at one end a single buckle to which the wearer attaches or connects the other end of the strap in the event the strap ends have not been pre-attached. The term "single-adjustment" as used herein refers to a situation in which the wearer need make no more than one adjustment for tightening the waist strap about the waist for a comfortable fit.
2. Description Of The Prior Art
Airline passenger life vests of the inflatable type commonly utilize dual, superposed, inflatable cells having a neck opening, and designed in such a manner that the cells overlie the chest of the wearer and will right the wearer should the wearer be in the water in a face-down position, thus to provide a proper flotation attitude, with the wearer's head being so supported as to be clear of the water line.
A life vest of the character described incorporates a waist strap or straps, so designed that when the life vest is donned by the wearer, the strap or straps can be pulled tight about the waist so as to assure that the life vest will be held upon the wearer's body in such a manner as to assure that the wearer will be supported in the necessary flotation attitude when the cells are inflated.
Commonly, airline passenger life vests of the dual cell type have heretofore been made in two basic ways. In one form of life vest now in commercial use, a single waist strap is provided, extending fully about the wearer's waist when the vest is donned, and having an adjusting buckle at the front. In this form of vest, there is provided a single end of the waist strap, which is pulled to effect the desired adjustment of the strap to the waist size of the wearer.
A life vest of this type does not include a back panel, that is, there is nothing at the back of the life vest that offers a means of making a connection to the back portion of the waist strap. As a result, it has been demonstrated that a life vest of this type has some tendency to flip back off the head of the wearer to produce a potentially life-threatening situation.
A more common form of airline passenger life vest, also of the dual cell type, utilizes a back panel, that is, a fabric member having an upper end secured to the dual cell means, and having a free lower end that is stitched to double waist straps. In this form of vest, the waist straps extend around the sides of the wearer's waist, to the front, and have individual ends and individual adjusting buckles, so that both ends are pulled to tighten the strap around the wearer's waist. This reduces the amount of time necessary to tighten the waist strap about the waist, and in addition, reduces the length of the "tail" of each strap, that is, the portion of the strap that hangs free from the waist after the strap has been tightened. The straps must be made to accommodate both small children and large adults of substantial girth. Thus, particularly when the vest is donned by a child, the "tail" may be so long as to be subject to being stepped on or entangled.
The Federal Aviation Administration has, under law, the responsibility of establishing performance standards for life vests of this type. Perceiving an advantage in standardizing the vests now in use, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has recently issued an order that the means for retaining a life vest of this type upon the wearer must require that the wearer secure no more than one attachment and make no more than one adjustment for fit. This means that vests of the type described above having a double waist strap are, effectively, hereafter prohibited.
It has been suggested by experts in the field, and demonstrated by appropriate test procedures, that the donning and retention characteristics of a single-adjustment, single-attachment configuration may be inferior to a double adjustment vest, especially when the vest is worn by a child, and in any event, offers no advantages over vests of the double waist strap type in ease of donning.
Particularly with respect to retention, the absence of a back panel, which so far as is known has never heretofore been usable in a life vest of the single-adjustment, single-attachment type, has produced poor retention characteristics, even if the vest is donned correctly, when passengers jump into the water, or are subjected to heavy wave action.
It becomes important, accordingly, in view of the promulgation of the FAA order described above, and for that matter even in the absence of such an order, to improve the retention characteristics and ease of donning of airline passenger life vests of the dual inflatable cell, single-attachment, single-adjustment waist strap type. Heretofore, the prior art has offered no solution to this particular problem and the main object of the present invention is to provide that solution.